Wendy's Christmas Wish
by Gracie in Neverland
Summary: this is a short story of a now 16 year old Wendy Darling learning to believe once again through wishing for a visit from one very special boy. I apologise in advance for any grammar mistakes. Hope you like it and R&R!
1. not For Young Women

The new extended Darling family rejoiced and cheered and one of their knew family members, of those of the lost boys, attempted to recite a Christmas carol and another pounded his fingers on the key of the piano, struggling to be in time. It was a chilled evening of December, one like no other. Not only was it Christmas eve, it was a night that the eldest child of the Darling family would never forget.

Wendy Darling had now reached the mature age of 16, and was now eligible for marriage. Marriage- a word that meant for those of grownups; a word that stung on the tip of her tongue when said and pieced her ears when heard. Wendy had learnt that all children grow up, and that she must adapt to liking the various suitors her father brought to her in hope of picking one to wed. She had stopped believing; believing in her inner youth, and stopped believing in the little boy that would never grow up. She was a young woman now, like her father said, and needed to act like one too. That meant no more stupid stories.

Wendy, John, Mitchell, the lost boys, Aunt Mildred and Mr and Mrs Darling were all collected around the fire place, taking in the warmth. It was becoming very late, and each one of the lost boys grew quite tired. "Come my dears, I believe its time foe bed." Mrs Darling beckoned. Her voice was smooth and gentle, as like the elegant woman she was.

"oh, but mother!" the children whimpered in synch. "But mother, its Christmas eve!" Tootles complained, as the children rose.

"Oh tootles," Mrs darling knelt down in front of him and cupped his cheek in her palm. "Father Christmas and his elves expect you all to be asleep when he arrives, other-wise if you aren't asleep when he arrives then he is going to have to use some of the special Christmas Fairies magical fairy dust to put you to sleep. However, fairy dust is scares in the north pole because the snow is way too cold for the Christmas Fairies there. And he has to use the little dust that he has to fly all around the world. So if you fall asleep without him having to use the dust, you will be doing him a favour." She rose from the ground and gave the children a cheerful smile in reassurance.

"I want to help Santa!" One of the children shouted.

"Me too!" Another chanted, as all the children started rushing up the stairs to their bed, hoping to help Father Christmas by falling into a slumber. All, except for one. Wendy remained, standing with her arms cross.

Mother, I do think you shouldn't be filling the children's brains with such nonsense." Mrs Darling's eyes softened in doubt that her eldest had finally grown up.

"Wendy, you must have a bit of Christmas cheer! Remember when you did believe, remember all the Christmas stories you would tell to the family on Christmas eve? Have you forgotten them? In fact, I believe you may have forgotten all the stories you once told…" Mrs Darling glided to Wendy and took her hand.

"Exactly as you said mother, they are just stories. Nothing for, nothing less." Wendy turned away, hoping that her mother wouldn't change her mind. She had quickly learnt that there was no space for stories and believing in a woman's life.

Mrs Darling frowned and shook her head, her curls bobbing up and down on her shoulders. "I remember the old Wendy. She used to tell stories to us. Remember when you believed in the magic? Remember when you believed in Cinderella and her glass slipper, remember believing in the old lady who lived in a shoe, and what about the adventures of the pirates, remember believing in Peter Pan-…" The last story pieced Wendy's heart like a dagger to the chest. She ripped her pale hand from in between her mothers. "No, I don't believe anymore. There is no need for stories and believing in a young woman's life. No more stupid fairy dust, no more nonsense of Christmas, and no more stupid, dumb tales of senseless Peter Pan!" Wendy jolted up the stairs and ran along the creaking wooden floor boards into her room, making quite an audible slam of the door behind her.


	2. Stories For The Boys

Now accommodating her own room, she felt it was suitable to let all her emotions out. Plummeting her fists into her pillow, Wendy tried oh so very hard erase the thought of Peter from her mind. The boy who left her behind, who promised to come back, but never did. The boy who broke her heart, and the reason why she no longer wanted to believe in fairy tales.

Lying flat on her back amongst the wall of pillows and sheets on her bed, Wendy decided it was appropriate to give her younger brothers a good night kiss, to hopefully put her mind into another matter. Rising from her bed, she stood up straight and flattened her skirt, then made her way to the nursery.

Pillows flew across the room, children jumped from bed to bed and laughter filled the room in anticipation for the next morning. It was havoc. "Boys! Why are you not in bed?! Mother sent you to bed over 15 minutes ago! To bed with you all!" Wendy furrowed her brow and placed her hands on her hips. The nursery was exactly as it was before, toys scattered across the room and the way paper still the same as over 3 years ago, however, 7 more bed had been added, all 10 now lined exactly parallel to each other. All the boys lifted their covers and slid underneath them as Wendy passed each boy with a tender kiss on the forehead.

Now each fatigued boy had a kiss planted on their skin, Wendy felt a chilling breeze through the window. "Brrrr, it sure is cold out there. Wouldn't want you to get a cold the night before Christmas." Walking over to the window, she took the latch into her hands and pulled the window shut. "No! Wendy, always leave the window open, never close the window!" One of the boys hesitated. "And why not?" Wendy rolled her eyes

"Because Peter might come back!" Another boy chanted in excitement for his hope. Wendy laughed as she walked back towards the row of beds. "Ahaha, no boys, Peter Pan is nothing but nonsense." Just as she spoke that, the clock in that far corner chimed as it struck 12. "My dear, its very late, you boys need to head to sleep!"

"But Wendy, we're too excited to sleep!" Mitchell cried, sitting up.

"Wendy, Wendy!" Curly Smiled. "we'll go to sleep if you tell us a story!"

"Yes, a story!" Sang the two lost boy twins.

"Boys, I haven't told you a night time story in a very long time. They are no thing for a young woman." The night's events started to wear down on Wendy as she yawned.

"Pleaassseee!" each boy yelped.

Sighing, Wendy gave in and sat down on the middle bed and leaned against the bed post. "Alright boys, but only this once, as long as you go to sleep straight after." All the boys nodded in obedience. "Ok, so it was a cold night, and snow pitter patted onto the roof of the home of ten boys, and one girl. They were a happy family together." She began, looking for the right words. "This family was like no other, as they were very adventurous, and had adventured to places no others had. Even a place found in the second star to the right, called Never Neverland."

Few of the boys had already fallen asleep, and the others who remained awake listened eagerly.

"There, the family explored the mermaid lagoons, made friends with some Indians and fought bravely against the treacherous pirates." Wendy continued. "Yet, most importantly, they met a boy; named Peter Pan. He was courageous and heroic, making it hard for the only girl of the family to not fall for him. They had created a friendship like no other, one that would last a lifetime. However, many moons passed and the family felt it was now time to go home. They said goodbye to Peter. He even promised the girl that he would visit her whenever her could." Tears filled her eyes. Little did she know, there was a shadow bouncing about on the other side of the closed window, listening to her story. "But, he never did. The girl learnt to grow up, without him. Now she wishes for him to come back, and still he does not. So she closes the window. But still holds the memory of their adventures together in her heart. The end." Wiping a stray tear away, she looked over the boys who were all now asleep, and stood up. Walking to the door, she took one last glance at the window before closing the door silently behind her and soon falling asleep in her own bed.


	3. Peter's Christmas Present

Snowflakes gusted down onto the window sill of the nursery window. Upon the snowflakes, a pair of feet rested on the window sill as well. Trying to make as little sound as possible, the figure attempted to open the window from the outside, but failing. Soon enough, a dash of fairy dust was poured down onto the outside latch of the window, opening the window and entering the room with a forceful gust of wind. The window doors flapped and the wind whistled, creating slight noise. The noise flew through the nursery, down the hall way and into Wendy's room, perking her ears up and causing her to wake up immediately in a fit of heavy breathing. "It must be nothing. It couldn't possibly be Santa Clause, I do not believe in such stories." Wendy thought out loud. Becoming suspicious, she rose from her bed and placed her feet into her warm fluffy slippers at the foot of her bed. Carefully creaking open the door, she hurried down the corridor and into the room producing the source of the noise; the nursery. Opening the door, she entered the room and peered over the beds. All the boys were safe within their beds. Wendy felt a cold breeze on her back, and wiped around to see the window wide open. She assumed one of the boys must have woken up and opened it, Wendy pushed the window doors back together and latched it up.

Walking for the door, Wendy muttered, "Should never open the window."

"Not always." Whispered a figure hiding in the top right hand corner of the room. Recognising that voice, Wendy turned around in a flash, and scanned the other side of the room in astonishment. It couldn't be! But there was nothing there, not a soul in sight.

"I'm up here!" The voice chanted again. And there he was, gliding swiftly down to the ground was the almighty Peter Pan. But, he had changed. He was no longer a boy. What had happened?

"Wh- Who are you?" Wendy's voice shook.

"The names Peter; Peter Pan." Peter placed his hands on his hips in his most renowned pose.

"No, no it couldn't be!" Wendy was genuinely shocked at his arrival, as she placed her hand over her mouth and rushed up to him. She was so close to him, their bodies almost touched. She could feel his loving warmth. "What happened to the boy who could never grow up?"

Peter looked down at the ground in shame. "I kept leaving Neverland and entering your world so I could hear your stories. I sat her by this window every night hearing you tell your brothers and the lost boys your stories. But, I spent so much time out of Neverland, that I began to grow like the kids in your world." Peter began stuttering with his words, showing how nervous he really was, although he stood bravely. "I was way too ashamed of what I had grown into. I feared that if I had shown myself, you would have seen that I had grown like you and wanted to forget about me. Then you stopped reading the stories, you stopped believing. But I still visited. That's when I realised that I wasn't really coming here to listen to your stories, I was really coming here to see you. You have become imbedded into my memory, I think of you every day. And I think I may feel those things you once told me about towards you." Peter turned away and gazed out the window.

"You mean 'feelings', Peter?" Wendy gasped in awe.

"Yes Wendy, Feelings. I feel them for you." Peter took her hand into his and looked deeply into her eyes, making her melt in his arms.

"Oh, Peter!" Wendy collapsed into his arms and squeezed him tightly, so tight he felt she might have pushed all the air from him. "But, Peter, if you didn't want to show yourself to me, then why did you do it tonight?"

Peter hesitated for a second, then smiled down at Wendy in his arms. "Earlier tonight you made a wish whilst you were telling a story to the boys, a wish for me to come back to you. And with a little faith, trust and pixy dust, I made that dream come true. So I came back to you, and also to give you this." Peter again took Wendy's hand in his, and used his other hand to cup her cheek. Leaning in, he placed a sweet and passionate kiss on her lips. The kiss sent an electric spark down her neck, through her chest, past the butterflies in her stomach, down her legs right to her toes. Parting their lips, Peter spoke, "A thimble."

Wendy immediately enveloped him in her arms. It was the most magical moment of her life.

"Wendy, come away with me. Come away to Neverland. We can be together forever." He bent down and whispered softly in her ear.

"Oh, Peter, I really don't know if I could. It's all a fantasy, isn't it?" Wendy tore her gaze from Peter. She could feel the two of them becoming distant.

"no Wendy, you just have to believe! If you believe, then anything is possible." He leaned in forward, making sure to keep his voice to a minimum in order to not wake the boys who were currently in a very deep slumber.

Wendy Sighed. "There is no place for believing and stories in a young woman's life. I need to focus on my studies and finding a suitable husband."

Husband. The word sent chills down his spine. "Wendy, I remember when Hook was tormenting me on the Jolly Rodger. He told me about this 'husband', you would soon have, and who would replace me. From that moment on, I promised myself that I would stop you from ever having another man as a husband."

Wendy frowned at this response, she turned her back to him.

"And make sure that I was the only man you would ever call 'husband'." Peter finished, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Wendy felt utter happiness and shock at what he had just said. It make the butterflies in her stomach dance and the twinkle in her eyes light up. Turning around she jumped back into his strong arms. "Heavens, Peter! Yes I will come with you to Neverland!" She cheered. "We'll sleep in your tree house during the night and venture forth the island during the day!" Excitement rushed through her veins.

Wearing a broad smile, Peter rushed to the window and pushed his feet from the ground, soaring the=rough the sky above. However, he stopped on the spot. His Wendy wasn't by his side. Hovering back down to the window, he looked at his Wendy who stood on the window still motionless. "What's wrong, Wendy?" He worried.

"Peter, I have forgotten how to fly…" Wendy gazed down at the ground. Smiling Peter slid his hand into his leave clad pocket and pulled out his hand to reveal a pitch of fairy dust resting in his palm. He then slowly blew the dust onto Wendy. "Think happy thoughts, Wendy." Was all he said as he hovered above her.

Wendy thought of every possible happy thought she had, squinting her eyes shut. She thought of the fair, fairy floss, horse rides, candy, adventures in Neverland, and Peter Pan himself. Opening her eyes, she gasped. Her feet were still planted on the floor below. "Peter, it's not working. I really am trying! I think there may be something wrong with me.." Wendy started, almost on the verge of tears.

Peter was terribly confused. What could be going wrong? She had fairy dust and she was thinking happy thoughts... She had trust and pixy dust-… But not faith! It suddenly hit Peter like a rock. "Wendy, you need to believe! You need to believe in the stories, the adventures!"

A doubtful expression loomed over her face. "Peter, I haven't believed in such things in a long time."

Peter took her hand. "Please, Wendy. Just try. You need to believe, you need to."

Shitting her eyes once again, she used all her strength and emotion to try, try and believe. For Peter's sake. In doubt, Wendy opened her eyes and was ready to give up when she gazed down at the ground. Wendy could no longer feel her toes touching the floor. It couldn't be! She was finally flying! "Peter, I'm flying!" She exclaimed with a nervous giggle.

Her excitement dying fading, Wendy let her feet touch the floor again. She turned around to stare into the room for the last time, with each hand clutching the sides of the window.

Peter leaned his head in close and placed his chin in the gap between her shoulder and neck. "Forget them, Wendy." He Whispered in her eye, just as he did all those years ago. "Forget them all. Come with me and you will never have to worry about grown up things again." Wendy turned around to face him, and he squeezed her hand tightly as he lifted her into the air, soaring off into the night sky of that blissful Christmas eve, never to return.

Wendy had received this night the most magical Christmas present of all. One that only Peter Pan could give her. A thimble. It was then Wendy knew that she had finally believed again in the stories and imagination that once filled her head years ago. Not only did she know that, but she also knew that any child anywhere in the world, deep in the heart of their youth, would always believe in the magic that is possible, even when they have grown to the oldest of ages. Even the boy and the girl that now live happily together in Neverland, that would now never grow up.


End file.
